Italian exam for Italy residency and citizenship
Italian citizenship asks for Italian at B1 and the EU long-term permit asks for A2, according to Prefettura and Italian Cultural Institute pages and legal summaries. The CILS exam dates from the University for Foreigners of Siena are official and were read on 19 October 2026.
- Verified read on an official page on 2026-10-19
- Secondary source blog, press or search snippet only
- Not confirmed we could not confirm it on an official page
Level you need, by purpose
| Purpose | Level | Exam | Legal reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citizenship | B1Secondary source | CILS Uno B1 (Siena); also CELI 2 (Perugia), PLIDA B1 (Dante), ele.IT (Roma Tre) | art. 9.1 Law 91/1992 (Normattiva)The Normattiva text was not checked for the wording; the level comes from Prefettura / IIC pages and summaries. |
| EU long-term permit (permesso UE per soggiornanti di lungo periodo) | A2Secondary source | A2 test at the Prefettura, or CILS A2 / CELI 1 / PLIDA A2 | Decree of 4 Jun 2010 on the A2 test (Prefettura PDF)art. 9 c. 2-bis D.Lgs 286/1998, via secondary summaries. |
| Permanent residence | Same as the EU long-term permit (not separately confirmed)Not confirmed | See above | — |
Next exam sessions
-
Thu 3 Dec 2026Thu 3 Dec 2026 CILS B1 · CILS centres worldwide (Siena) Registration deadline: Sat 24 Oct 2026 Verified official calendar
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Thu 10 Jun 2027Thu 10 Jun 2027 CILS B1 · CILS centres worldwide (Siena) Registration deadline: Sat 1 May 2027 Verified official calendar
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Thu 2 Dec 2027Thu 2 Dec 2027 CILS B1 · CILS centres worldwide (Siena) Registration deadline: Sat 23 Oct 2027 Verified official calendar
All listed sessions have passed. Check the official calendar for new dates.
These are CILS “B1 standard” dates. Which B1 variant is accepted for citizenship (for example “B1 cittadinanza”) was not confirmed: ask the centre before you book. CELI and PLIDA calendars were not read.
Fee, format and results
- FeeNot confirmed: set by each CILS centreNot confirmed
- FormatCILS: listening, reading, writing, speakingVerified source
- ResultsWaiting time not confirmedNot confirmed
- RegistrationDeadlines shown with each session (official CILS pages)Verified source
Official prep resources
- CILS: how to prepareVerified Official, opened 2026-10-19
- CILS: the exam partsVerified Official, opened 2026-10-19
- PLIDA (Società Dante Alighieri) exam siteVerified Official, opened 2026-10-19
What is verified
Checked on 2026-10-19. Deadlines move and exam centres add or cancel sessions: always confirm on the official link before you pay or book.
Verified On an official page
- CILS 2026 session dates and registration deadlines · official page · checked 2026-10-19
- CILS 2027 session dates and registration deadlines · official page · checked 2026-10-19
- CILS exam parts · official page · checked 2026-10-19
Secondary source Secondary source only
- B1 for citizenship (art. 9.1 Law 91/1992) · from Prefettura / IIC pages and legal summaries
- A2 for the EU long-term permit · from Prefettura decree and summaries
Not confirmed Not confirmed
We could not confirm these on an official page as of 2026-10-19:
- CILS, CELI and PLIDA fees
- Results waiting time
- CELI and PLIDA calendars
- Which CILS B1 variant citizenship offices accept
Practise speaking before the exam
Other countries: Spain · Portugal · Germany · France · Netherlands
How it works
- Check the level you need and the next exam date here. Always confirm on the official link.
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